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I came across an add in the newspaper the other week end advising that there is to new rules for child restraints and booster seats in Victoria. A quick check of the VicRoads website shows that the new rules are to be introduced on Nov 9 2009.
The quote below comes directly from the VicRoads website. For further information check the website for full details.
The new rules for using child restraints and booster seats.
Starting 9 November 2009, children under seven years of age must wear a child restraint or booster seat when travelling in a car for improved safety.
The type of restraint will depend on the age of the child as follows:
- Children aged under six months must wear an approved, properly fastened and adjusted, rear facing child restraint.
- Children aged between six months and under four years must wear an approved, properly fastened and adjusted, rear facing child restraint OR a forward facing child restraint with an in-built harness.
- Children aged between four years and under seven must wear an approved, properly fastened and adjusted, forward facing child restraint with an in-built harness OR an approved booster seat which is properly positioned and fastened.
There are also new laws for where children can sit in vehicles.
- If a car has two or more rows of seats, then children under four years must not travel in the front seat
- If all seats, other than the front seats, are being used by children under seven years, children aged between four and six years (inclusive) may travel in the front seat, provided they use an approved restraint or booster seat.
This means that I will have to look at our current situation with the school pick up arrangements. Currently two days a week I bring two other children home in our car. (My lovely neighbour then brings home two of my children the other three nights.) The children I bring home are aged 5 and 10. As he does in his own car, the 5 year old sits in a seat without a booster. This will no longer be an option after November with the new rules, so I will need to start researching options for the new child restraint requirements.
A great starting point has been the RACV website. It has a child restraint calculator to determine the most appropriate restraints and tips for buying the safest booster seat.
I am quite happy with the rule changes. I am generally on the more cautious side with child restraints and find my kids complain “that no one else sits in one”. Now I have the law on my side!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Fantastic information here. And what a fantastic gift to give your children – safety! It might mean they’re ‘uncool’ to some, but it might also mean they live.
Thanks for making your seconds count
Alisons last blog post..One Second for Parents
I’m with you – safety is paramount. I cringe every time I see little preppies or even kinder kids jump in the front seat (sometimes with seatbelt, sometimes not!).
Leannes last blog post..The Inaugural Trip – Toora Tourist Park
Alison – Uncool is definitely the better option.
Leanne – I know. My 10 year old has only been in the front seat a couple of times, when there has been no other seat left in the car.
I’m a bit of a safety nut-job when it comes to things like this (also: bike helmets) so I’m happy to see regulations tightened up in this arena. Canada has some pretty firm car-seat laws.
What I’d *really* like to see is the enforcement and punitive measures advanced. This would not be to hassleparents driving their cars around. This would be to protect my kids when they’re in *another* adult’s car.
Think of it: I can hammer it into my kids’ heads “always wear your seatbelt/booster” “if you have to go in a car where there’s no seat-belt, or someone says ‘don’t bother’, call me IMMEDIATELY” etc. But as soon as a friend’s parent says “meh, it’s stuck behind the seat, we’re only goint a block”, do you think they’re going to make a stink? It’s happened twice to my kids and it makes my stomach all knotty!
harmzies last blog post..10/07/02 12:45 – 7#7 – XX
“I am quite happy with the rule changes. I am generally on the more cautious side with child restraints and find my kids complain “that no one else sits in one”. Now I have the law on my side!”
AMEN!
I’m so relieved to see the rules change. Safety should be paramount and I cringe when I see young children in the front seat or without a car seat.
My only concern is that my 4yo is so tall she has grown out of her booster seat. It took some looking around but we found a model that was suitable for her current height. At 4yo she is taller than most 6yo’s and she still has 3 years left in a booster seat. Hopefully her growth will slow down because I’m not sure what we will do if she gets much taller.
The new rules based on age are much easier to follow and make a great deal of sense but the height issue is a problem.
Great info! I must confirm what the situation is in NSW. I do a preschool run and my 4yo son is in a booster with an ordinary seatbelt when I do that… he is over 18kg and quite tall but I am not sure if, for his age, he should still be in a harness style. I’ll struggle to fit 3 of these across the back of my car but of course, safety comes first.
I too cringe when I see smallies in the front seat – and I see it quite regularly!
Michelles last blog post..Money in his pocket.
I had no idea how important it was to keep little ones in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible. I’ve just read that over a seven year period half of the children who died in accidents where front facing “booster” seats were used could have been saved had they been using rear-facing seats! That is just shocking. Here is a great website for carseat info http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/ plus here is the site with the details of the research http://www.keepmedriving.com/ – worth a read!